Second Member of Counterfeit Currency Ring Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Federal Prison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2014

RICHMOND, Va. – Norris Eugene Heath, 39, of North Chesterfield, Va., was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on charges of conspiring to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes; and for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. Restitution to one of the victims was also ordered.

Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and William Frantzen, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing today by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

Heath was arrested on September 18, 2013, and indicted on October 16, 2013. He pled guilty on December 2, 2013 to both charges in the indictment.

According to court documents, Heath obtained genuine Federal Reserve Notes in either one dollar or five dollar denominations, bleached them, and then printed the image of either a fifty dollar or one hundred dollar note onto them. He joined the conspiracy in approximately August 2012, and remained a part of it until June 7, 2013. He was held responsible for having manufactured or passed $3,450.00 worth of counterfeit currency.

In February 2013, co-defendant Abraham Emanuel Brotherson was sentenced to 1.5 years in federal prison for his role in aiding and abetting the conspiracy; Warren Kelly Isaacs, who was charged with passing counterfeit notes, will be sentenced later this month; and La’Keesha Kee, who was charged with passing counterfeit notes, was found guilty after proceeding to trial last month. She is scheduled to be sentenced in May. There are also outstanding charges pending against Tarshema Brice.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller prosecuted the cases on behalf of the United States.